Soul Seller | Wings of Freedom
by Nikiforos Skoumas
Staff Writer —
Though most would cite Scandinavia or Germany as a point of reference for contemporary melodic rock music; there is also a booming Italian scene which brought forward such great acts as Myland, Edge of Forever, Perfect View, Hungryheart and Fabri Kiareli; all of which have delivered incredible melodic rock albums of the past couple of years.
Melodic rockers Soul Seller have returned with their second album Wings of Freedom, competing for a place of their own amongst Italy’s finest. The line up features lead singer Michael Carrata, guitarists Dave Zublena and Cris Audisio , keyboardist Alexandro Muscio, drummer Steve Bucci and bassist Mike Zublena.
Essentially, Soul Seller combine the melodies of AOR with the groove and choruses of hard rock and rock ‘n’ roll into a really explosive mix. So often songs open on a guitar riff which harmonizes with a keyboard melody on top, while reaching the verse or chorus the performance takes a somewhat more aggressive turn, by which time the song enters party rock territory. On the other hand, Wings of Freedom is bound to surprise with the inclusion of two power ballads being “All I Can Promise” and “Hell of Tears” both of which borrow elements from adult-oriented ballads and glam metal ballads.
Despite their melodic orientation, the rhythm section is proven an equally significant part of the ‘Soul Seller’ sound, being up-front in the mix and fairly intense (you can expect a good amount of sporadic double bass drumming amongst these twelve tracks). Wings of Freedom is captured, mixed and mastered by Edge of Forever mastermind Alessandro Del Vecchio who is rather known for delivering a “metallic” edge to his melodic projects.
Now, Soul Seller have chosen the title track of the album as their promo video andsingle although the album’s strongest moment is probably the power-rocker “Keep on Moving.” A classic sounding riff and an equally classic sounding chorus, while the embedded harmonies are also spot-on. Another highlight of Wings of Freedom is “Old Hero’s Prayer,” without a doubt built on the “Bon Jovi-vibe” with its optimistic chorus, catchy acoustic guitars and piano melodies.
Overall, if you are a fan of the Italian scene of AOR, hard rock or glam metal, Soul Seller’s new album should make for a satisfactory experience; a well rounded album overall.
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock / Glam Metal
Line up:
Michael Carrata: Lead & backing vocals
Dave Zublena: Rhythm guitars, lead & acoustic guitars
Cris Audisio: Lead guitars & guitar solos
Mike Zublena: Bass
Steve Bucci: Drums
Track Listing:
• Wings Of Freedom
• Change Your Heart Tonight
• All I Can Promise
• Keep On Moving
• Hope On The Horizon
• Old Hero’s Prayer
• Back To Life
• Hell Of Tears
• A Message From Planet Venus
• New Power Day
• Rock Still Stands
• Beautiful Heretic’s Dream
Band website: http://www.soulseller.it/
Label website: http://www.avenue-of-allies.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10